Las Vegas
National Finals Rodeo
The National Finals Rodeo, organized by the
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, is the premier championship
rodeo event in the United States. Wrangler Jeans is the title sponsor
for the 10-day event, commonly just called the National Finals or NFR,
which is also sometimes referred to as the World Series of Rodeo and the
Super Bowl of Rodeo. The NFR is held each year in the first full week of
December, at the
Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in
Las Vegas, Nevada.
Events
This is the final event of the PRCA season. At its end, eight world champions
are crowned in the following seven events:
-
Bareback riding
-
Steer wrestling
- Team roping
- Through 1994, the PRCA awarded a single championship to the top
team. Since 1995, the
PRCA has awarded separate championships to the top "header" (the cowboy
who ropes the steer's horns) and "heeler" (the cowboy who ropes the
steer's feet). However, the top header and heeler are almost always
regular partners.
-
Saddle bronc riding
-
Tie-down roping
- Bull riding
-
Barrel racing, the only event exclusive to women
In each event, the world championship is awarded at the end of the NFR to the
cowboy or cowgirl who earns the most money in his or her event for the year. An
"all-around cowboy" championship is also awarded at the end of the NFR to the
highest-earning cowboy who has regularly competed in more than one event during
the year. Because of the large amount of money awarded during the NFR, the
leader in an event going into the NFR is frequently dethroned at its end.
Since this event is extremely popular, it sells out all seats for all of the
events. Many casinos carry the events live in their
sports
books or host special parties to accommodate all of the fans in town who can
not get tickets for the events. Most of the major hotels and casinos book
special entertainment into their showrooms with a country theme offering many of
the regular shows an extended break.
History
Since
1985 the NFR has been held in Las Vegas. Dallas, Texas hosted the very first NFR
in 1959, and hosted the next three. In 1963 the event made a one-year stop in
Los Angeles, California. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma then hosted the rodeo from 1964
to 1984. Oklahoma City has bid to return the NFR to Oklahoma, but is always
outbid by the deep pockets of Las Vegas.
Trivia
- Since the rodeo uses the area that is home to the
UNLV basketball
team, December means a long string of away games for the basketball team.
- The special dirt used for the event is stored on the UNLV campus to be
used again the following year.
- Cowboy Christmas, a cowboy gift show, is held concurrent with the
rodeo at the
Las Vegas Convention Center.
External links
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